The Second Coming of Christ, Part 7

What is the millennium? It is the period in which Satan will be bound and rendered inactive for one thousand years, and during which Christ and his saints shall rule on the earth, as we read in Revelation 20:1-6.

Before we examine the millennium, let us first consider the events that must transpire before the millennial reign of Christ. These events are found particularly in the Olivet Discourse of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24-25) and the first and second epistles to the Thessalonians.

Events Preceding the Millennium

Before the millennial reign of Christ, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come again with his holy angels. This coming, referred to by three Greek words–parousia , epiphany and apokalupsis –will be public, personal, powerful, and glorious. At Jesus’ coming, the dead in Christ will be resurrected, and saints who are alive at the time will be transformed. Both of these groups will then receive bodies like Jesus’ resurrected body–bodies that are immortal, imperishable, glorious, and powerful.

According to both the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people will then be converted as a nation and restored to their land. We read about this in several places, particularly in Zechariah, chapters 12-14 and Romans 9-11 (particularly Romans 11:6). After that, the Antichrist and his followers will be defeated, as we read in Revelation 16 and Revelation 19. There will be a final incarnation of evil, as Professor George Ladd observes, in a superman, the Antichrist, who will have worldwide rule. Antichrist will deify himself, demand worship, and unify the state and apostate churches. He will demand that people worship him as God, or suffer economic sanctions and death. Energized by Satan, this Antichrist will bring about the most fearful persecution of the saints in all history.

Satan Is Bound

In Revelation 20 we read about the millennial reign of Christ. First, Satan is bound. “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.” Here by the authority of Jesus an angel comes with a key to the Abyss and a chain, and binds the dragon.

What is St. John speaking about here? First, we must realize that the Abyss is not hell. Instead, it is a place where demons and others are kept. We read about this Abyss also in Revelation 9.

Secondly, we must ask who this dragon is. There are four names given for him in Revelation 20:2. First, he is called dragon, which gives us the picture of a foul and unclean monster. Then he is called ancient serpent, which tells us that Genesis 3 is not speaking about just a serpent, but it refers to this arch enemy of God, the one who opposes God and his people. What did God say about the serpent in Genesis 3? God pronounced judgment on him, saying that he would eat dust, meaning figuratively, that Satan would be utterly humiliated ultimately. Then he is called diabolos or devil, meaning he is the slanderer who continually and falsely accuses God’s people, as we see him doing in Zechariah 3:1. Then he is called Satan, meaning the inveterate foe of Christ and the people of God.

What do we know about the devil? In Isaiah 14:13-14 we read his boast: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'” That is what the devil said he would do, but it never happened. In Revelation 12:9 we read, “The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

Satan did not ascend, nor could he. He was thrown down by God to the earth. And in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and Christ’s work on the cross, Christ bound Satan so that the elect of God, hostages of Satan, could be released into God’s glorious salvation. God’s binding and throwing down of Satan through the cross of Christ did not render him inactive, however. There has been a certain curbing of his activity, so that Satan cannot touch us, but he still prowls around like a roaring lion to devour, if possible, God’s people (1 Pet. 5:8). In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul says he is not ignorant of Satan’s devices.

But in Revelation 20 we read that there is a day coming in which Satan will be arrested, thrown down into the Abyss, locked up, sealed in, and made totally immobile. His activities in that day will cease. We might also assume that all the demons will be so controlled, “for the purpose that [they] may no longer deceive the nations.” This will be a prelude to the glorious millennial reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

How can an angel accomplish such a feat? We must realize that the devil is not omnipotent, but rather a creature with limited powers. One angel, by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be able to seize him, bind him, throw him and lock him in without any effort. Now, the devil had done that to Christ when he died, when the authorities sealed Christ’s tomb to prevent the disciples from stealing his body. But in God’s plan, on the third day according to the Scriptures, Christ rose from the dead and left the tomb. The devil, however, can never come out of the Abyss unless God determines to release him. In verse 3 we read that he will be set free for a short time, but before that he will be in the Abyss for one thousand years.

After the millennium Satan will be released for a brief time, and then thrown into his final destination, the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41). This devil who wanted to ascend and be like the Most High has been brought down to earth, and will be brought down farther, first to the Abyss and finally to Gehenna, the lake of fire. All those who follow him will be thrown there also.

When will this happen? In God’s time. Jesus Christ could throw Satan into the lake of fire right now, but he doesn’t. He could have done it in Genesis 3, but he didn’t. He will do it in his own time.

The Meaning of Millennium

What, then, is meant by the millennial reign of Christ? Millennium comes from two Latin words–mille , meaning a thousand, and annus , meaning year. The millennium means the reign of Christ for one thousand years while the devil is locked up and immobilized.

Now we consider Revelation 18-20 to be sequential and chronological, not recapitulation, meaning that one event follows another. Not all Christians, especially some in Reformed churches, believe in a millennium, but we and the vast majority of evangelicals do. Our view is called premillennial, meaning we believe that Christ will come before the millennium.

Millennium means the temporal, historical, earthly reign of Jesus Christ after his second coming. We find mention of this in several ancient documents, including the Didache , (A.D. 125), the Epistle of Barnabas , (A. D. 125 ), and the Shepherd of Hermas , (A. D. 150). We see this position espoused by Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 150); Irenaeus (late second century); Tertullian (second and third century); Lactantius, a Latin father (the third and fourth century); Hippolytus, a bishop of Rome, (third century). This was the exclusive belief of the early church for the first three hundred years. All other views, especially those propounded by St. Augustine and others, are new.

The Purpose of the Millennium

What is the purpose of Christ’s thousand year reign on earth? We do not know every reason, but we know that it will demonstrate the vindication within space and time of the cause of the Christ. It will also provide tangible and convincing proof of the victory of righteousness over evil. And above all, the millennium will be the manifestation to the world of the rule of the King, Jesus Christ–a rule which will be in righteousness and in peace. We read about this rule in many places, including Isaiah 11; Isaiah 32; Daniel 7:9-13, 26, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; and 2 Timothy 2:12.

Paul and the Millennium?

In the opinion of theologians Oscar Cullman, George Ladd and others, Paul himself probably intimated the millennial reign of Christ when he spoke about resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, beginning with verse 22. In verse 23 Paul wrote, “But each in his own turn” or order. The Greek word is tagma. Then we are told, “Christ, the firstfruits,” meaning Jesus Christ is the first to be raised from the dead. Then there is an adverb in Greek, epeita, meaning afterwards. This, then, is pointing to a certain interval between the resurrection of Christ and his second coming, at which time we will be transformed. But there is an interval of many years–over nineteen hundred years.

“But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then when he comes, those who belong to him. Then (eita ) the end will come.” So there are people who will see a certain interval between the resurrection of Christ and his second coming, at which time we will be raised up, and then–eita, meaning afterward–an interval from the coming of Christ until the end takes place. That interval, to many people, is the millennium–an interval, according to this text, between the second coming of Christ and the end, similar to the interval between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his second coming.

“Then the end will come.” The end cannot come until all enemies are put down. Read verse 25: “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” The last enemy to be dealt with is death itself (v. 26). People will die even in the millennium. In this chapter you see Christ dealing with death, the last enemy, after the millennium.

Look at verse 24: “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father.” Having dealt completely and totally with every rebellion, including the consequence of sin, death, he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. That, according to this chapter, takes place after the millennium.

Saints on Thrones

Revelation 20:4-6 is a particularly crucial passage, because nowhere else in the Bible are we told about a one thousand year reign. Verse 4 says, “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” Some would say that here John is seeing two groups–those who are seated on thrones, and those who had been beheaded. Others see only one group–all believers with spiritual bodies–reasoning that the apostle John, as a pastor, is making specific mention of the martyrs within that group for the encouragement of the church.

We read about martyrs in Revelation 6:9-11, “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice: ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”

John was a pastor who understood that believers face opposition, persecution, and martyrdom. He spoke about that in Revelation 2:10 in his message to the church of Smyrna: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” So from the point of view of a concerned pastor, John may be making specific mention of the martyrs whose request has now been heard, who have been resurrected, and are also reigning with Jesus Christ. Knowing that those who endure will reign with Christ gives the church great encouragement.

Now, whether John is seeing one group or two, we want to stress that this verse provides great encouragement for believers. “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge, and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.”

“They Came to Life”

In verse 4, then, John sees all who belong to Christ, who have been given glorious bodies, seated on thrones with Christ. They have received authority to rule as promised in the Holy Scriptures. He makes special mention of martyrs for the pastoral encouragement of saints in all ages who have faced or will face persecution and martyrdom. But then John tells us, “they came to life.”

What does that phrase mean? In the Greek it is one word in the aorist tense, ezesan, from the verb zao. What does ezesan mean? In context it cannot be spiritual resurrection, meaning regeneration, although this is the way most Reformed people interpret it. Rather, it must mean bodily resurrection of the souls we saw in Revelation 6:9-11, who were told to wait a little longer. They did not have bodies there, but they were regenerated already. Their coming to life in this chapter is called tei anastasei tei protei— -the first resurrection. If you look at the word anastasis , meaning resurrection, that word is used almost exclusively to refer to physical resurrection. So ezesan must mean physical resurrection. It is called the first resurrection. This word is used in Revelation 2:8 and Romans 14:9 to refer to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This word appears again in Revelation 20:5. “The rest of the dead did not come to life [ezesan] until the thousand years were ended.” And in Revelation 20:12, we are given understanding and an indication of these other people coming to life. “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.” This is speaking about the dead who, after one thousand years, were also raised up, not to live and reign with Christ, but to be thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second resurrection. The first resurrection includes all those who belong to Christ, including the martyrs. Those who have part in the first resurrection are blessed, “priests of God and Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (v. 6).

Therefore, we must conclude that the word ezesan, translated as, “they came to life,” cannot mean regeneration in Revelation 20:4-5. It cannot mean regeneration in verse 4 and physical resurrection in verse 5 unless the context tells us, as it does in John 5:24-29. There the context tells us one use of the word is for regeneration and the other is physical resurrection. But here the context does not tell us that ezesan means regeneration in verse 4 and physical resurrection in verse 5. Also, ezesan cannot mean regeneration in verses 4 and 5, because the people referred to in verse 5 are going to be thrown into hell. So we must conclude that the first resurrection must refer to the physical resurrection of believers, and when John writes, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended,” he must be referring to the physical resurrection there also.

Henry Alford, a great scholar, wrote about interpreting this particular passage: “It seems to me that if, in a sentence where two resurrections are spoken of with no mark of distinction between them, in a sentence where one resurrection having been related, the rest of the dead are afterward mentioned, if we are at liberty to understand the former one figuratively and spiritually, and the latter literally and materially, then there is an end of all definite meaning in plain words, and the book of Revelation or any other book may mean anything we please” (quoted by J. Oliver Buswell in A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Vol. Two , Zondervan Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1962, p. 495).

The Reign of Christ and His Saints

“They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (v. 4). What does it mean to reign with Christ? We find this concept in other passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In Daniel 7 we find several references. In verse 7 we read, “As I looked, ‘thrones were set in place. . .'” indicating rulership by more than one person. In verse 11 Daniel wrote, “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. . .” Horn here refers to Antichrist. “I kept looking until the beast [Antichrist] was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man. . .” Who is this “one like a son of man”? Jesus Christ. He is the rock we read of in Daniel 2 that came down, destroyed all the kingdoms of the world, and became the dominant kingdom. And Daniel says this one will come “with the clouds of heaven” (v. 13). Jesus referred to this passage in Matthew 26:64 when he said he would come in the clouds of heaven.

Daniel continues, “He approached the Ancient of Days”–meaning God the Father–“and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (v. 13-14). Look at verses 26 and 27: “But the court will sit”–referring to the thrones–“and his [Antichrist’s] power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all rulers will worship and obey him.” That is speaking about this reign of Christ and the people of God.

There is reference to this reign in the New Testament also. In 1 Corinthians 6 we find Christians taking fellow believers to secular courts to settle problems and issues. Paul did not like that and asked, “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?” (v. 1) In other words, they should bring their disputes to the church court and take care of them there. And in verse two we read something very important: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” Right here Paul is speaking to the Corinthians, New Testament believers, but he is using the word “saints.” That is why I will say that saints means people of God, Jews as well as Gentiles. What did Paul say? “The saints will judge the world.”

Our prospect is to judge the world, and to do so we must have wisdom to deal with problems that are taking place in the church. “And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?” Then Paul says, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” In other words, our destiny is to reign with Christ and judge the world as well as angels. We are told about this reigning with Christ in other passages also, including 2 Timothy 2:12 and Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 5:9-10.

The Nature of Millennial Life

Revelation 20 does not tell us about the nature of millennial life, but from other parts of the Bible, we can approximate what the nature of that life will be. First we must realize that it is a literal, temporal, historical kingdom in time and space. The millennial kingdom is a real kingdom, not just a spiritualization of something.

In the millennial kingdom there will be literal king, the Lord Jesus Christ. We read about this in Isaiah 32, Daniel 7 and Psalm 2, particularly.

What form of government will the millennial kingdom have? It will be an absolute theocracy, where all judicial, legislative, and executive powers reside in Jesus Christ. And he will administer this government through his delegated authorities, who are the people of God, the saints.

Christ’s millennial rule will be worldwide, as we read in Zechariah 14:9 and again, in 1 Corinthians 6:2. It could be centered in Jerusalem, as we read in Isaiah 2:3. And in Zechariah 14 we also read that there will be topographical changes during the millennium. The Mount of Olives is going to split, creating a valley going east and west.

There will be climatic changes during the millennium. The curse to which this earth is subjected will be lifted, either partially or fully, although I would say only partially at this time. All wars on earth will cease for a thousand years. There will be great tax relief because there will be no need for defense systems. There will be peace and prosperity.

During the millennium crime will be minimal. There will be real justice for all. Perhaps, as some say, laws from the Old Testament will operate. And labor problems will be minimal, because people will be paid just wages.

There will be healing during the millennium. In Isaiah 35 we read that the blind will see. People will have long lives, as we read in Isaiah 65:20. People may live eight or nine hundred years, and if one dies at one hundred, he will be considered accursed.

Pollution and toxic problems will be kept to a minimum. There will be increased fertility of the earth. Read Isaiah 35: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” The wilderness will blossom.

How Does the Millennium Apply to Us Now?

What benefit does the knowledge of eschatology have for us now? The millennium is a continuation of the present rule of Jesus Christ in heaven. But the location is shifted from heaven to this earth to manifest Christ’s power and glory before the world. We know Jesus Christ is reigning now in heaven at the right hand of God, but this kingdom of God will continue on earth with the saints as a manifestation of his glory to the world.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, this is our future. Therefore, let us persevere, endure hardship, and be faithful to the end. Neither secularism nor sin nor sinners nor Satan nor demons nor unbelieving politicians, philosophers, and scientists will succeed against God. They all will wither and die. All kingdoms will fall. The rock of Christ shall come down from heaven and pulverize all rebellion. The kingdom of Christ shall fill the earth, he shall reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, and his people, who trusted in Jesus Christ, shall reign with him on earth for a thousand years. They will judge the world, as Paul prophesied.

Eschatology is important and extremely relevant. Soon we shall be like our Lord Jesus Christ, for we shall see him as he is. “Everyone,” St. John says, “who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). But you cannot purify yourself unless you are justified by God through Christ, and you cannot be justified unless you believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ who died for our sins and was raised for our justification. You cannot believe in Jesus Christ unless you are regenerated by the sovereign, unilateral work of the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will regenerate and quicken you, make you a new creation and give you divine nature, that you may repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be justified forever. Then you can hope in his glorious coming and universal reign, which we will share with him. Amen.